Animal trap



May 29, 1923. 1,456,929

0. H. MOEN ANIMAL TRAP.

Filed Nov. 2, 1922 Patented May 29, 19232 UNITEDiST ATES,

OLE H. MOEN, or maroon, IOWA.

ANIMAL TRAP.

Application filed November 2, 1922. Serial in. 598,626.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLE H. MOEN, a citizen of the United States, residing-at Inwood 1n the county of Lyon and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Animal Traps, of which the following is a'specification. V v

My inventionrelates to a device for catching animals of the smaller kind, such a rodents and gophers and the main object of the invention is to provide a trap, that'may be adjusted for either a wide or a narrow grip, that is to say, the' adjustment is such, that the trap may be set in ahole' or burrow,

where the animal is usedto pass, or else in and which will catch an animal whether the open field;

Another object of the invention is to fur nish a trap of this character that is sure to be sprung at the lightest touch of the bait fairly large or small.

- In the. accompanying drawing one embodiment of the invention is illustrated and Figure 1 shows a topplan view of the trap as arranged for a narrow grip;

position between the sidewalls 11 of the Figure 2 is a top plan view of arranged for a wide grip;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the trap along line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows the front end view of the trap, sprung, and p Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the latch in set position. i Y In the drawing, reference numeral 10 represents a base consisting, preferably, ofmetal plate. This base is of rectangular shape and channel construction, with depending side walls 11, upon the lower edges of which th base is resting, when thev trap is set.

On top of this base'and in longitudinal :direction thereof, is carried a setting bar 12, preferably made ofheavy wire and guid edby means of bearings 13, here shown by turning over a flap; out out from the top of the base.- The rear end of the setting bar is bent downwardly to form a hook 14:,

adapted to engage'with one'end 1501? a coiled tension spring 16, which is lodged under thetop and substantially in a central base. The other end 17 ofthe spring16 is hooked through a central partition 18 at the forward end of the base. The coil spring 16,

the trap as accordingly, tends to. draw the setting bar 12 in a forward direction alongthe top of the base 10.

In the central partition l which is walled-providing a narrow passage, is jour- 1 na'led'as at .19, a bait carrier 20, whichis, a pre ferably,:formed out of'a plate with a fiat forward end 21, bent back tos form a loop 22, adapted ,to engage a short. pin. or rod 23 extending transversely from-the carrier.

At 24 is shown anjape'rturain which ithe bait is secured andthev rear'portionof the carrier is constructed as a straight arm- 25 1 obtained by bending the side edges :of the i carrier together and'provided with an opening 26 at the rear end byimeans of which the carrier 'is journaled at 19;-between:the walls of the 'partition lS;

sharp upper arm 29 adapted to engage with.

'Between the same walls is also hinged, as at 27, a tripping finger-'28 having-a short,

the lower sharp nose 31 on the trippingfinger 28 is adapted to engage withfthe notch- 32 formed 'on the upper "side of the arm 25 of the bait carrier; In this position of the parts the forward end 21 of the .baitcarrier 20 is slightly raised ,fromthe ground, sothat of the setting bar 12 is provided -a-"vertical of shanks 34;, whichqextend'rearwardly from the least pressure on this endwill disengage tlie'sharp nose'31 ofthe'tripping finger and I in this manner release the setting-bar 12. n A short distance behind the 'blunt- 'e'nd -3O I a pivot 33, aroundwhich are "journaled aipair the piv'otand terminate with outwardly bent, 7

short arms 35." "At the'pivot 33 these shanks are crossed to form opposing gripping ja'ws 36 with gripping fingers 37', prefe'rablyarranged in relation of the fingers on the one aw as reardsthefingerson the oppositefjaw. The

extreme ends of the fingers 37 arefp'refeiy. ably, bent back as at 45, for the purposelof I pairs along the j aws in staggered not injuringthe fur or skin of thefanimal caught, when the jaws close up. around. the

The outwardly' bent arms ofthe shanks H 34; engage in slots '38 formed in the inwardly folded straps 39 along the sides of the'base 1 10. These slots 38 commence a 'shortdistance 7 lines in Figure to the rear of the front end of the base and extend to a point approximately midway between the two ends providing front abutments 4A3 and rear abutments 4E4. With the trap arranged as for a wide grip of the jaws, as in Figure 2, the bent arms 35 engage at the front edges or abutments 43 of the slots 38, while the rear edges of the arms are adapted to slide against the perpendicular legs 40 of the staple H, which is detachably seated in suitable apertures provided on each side of the top of the base and the straps 39, the arms 35 running beneath these straps and above the top. When the setting bar 12 is pulled back against the action of the spring 16, the arms will swing out abruptly, thereby opening the jaws 36 wide, as shown by dotted 2, when the blunt end of the setting bar 12 will engage the tripping finger 28 and the jaws in this manner will be held V'n set position during the engagement of the tripping finger 28 in the notch 32 of the bait carrier 20, with the latter slightly raised. I

When the trap is intended to be used in the burrows or holes of the animals to be caught, atnarrower 'grip'is preferable and in order to I obtain this, the staple 4:1 is first detached from the base 10, whereupon the arms are pressed together, so that the staple may engage with the outsideiedges of the arms 35, whilethe inside edges of the arms will engage behind the staple 4C1 and with the rear i dicated by dotted lines in this figure,

, trap either from the front or the rear,

than 'what' is seen in edges or abutments 4A of the slots 38, when the setting bar 12 is retracted, as seen in Figure 1. It will now be observed that, in the set position of the aws as inthat the grip is: considerably narrower, Figure 2 and that the width across the ends of the jaws is, approximately the same or possibly slightly less than the width of the base, so that the trap maybe pushed into a burrow or a hole, where the animalis liable to pass.

With the trap set and baited, as already described, whether in the wide or the narrow grip position, an animal approaching the and slightly touching the bait or treading on the rod 23 of the bait carrier, will release the tripping finger 28, when the spring 16 will throw thesetting bar 12, together with the shanks j34:, forward and the jaws 36 with their fingers 35 will thereupon embrace the animal with a tight grip, securely holding same.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. An animal trap comprising a base, a

(sliding member guided upon said base, a spring tending to slide said member in direction of springing the trap, a bait carrying element'and means inserted between said element and said sliding member to hold the nesaeee latter in set position; gripping jaws pivoted,

onsaid sliding member and other means on said base actuating the opening and closing of the aws during the settingand springing of said sliding membe'r,;said other means including a staple positioned inthe base and abutments on said base, said gripping jaws having shanks engaging between said staple and said zabutments,

3. An animal trap comprisinga base, a sliding member guided upon said base, a spring tending to slide said member indirection of springing the trap, a baitcarrying element and means inserted between said element and said sliding member to hold the latter in set position; gripping jaws pivoted on said sliding member and each provided with a series of bent fingers anda curved shank and other means on said base actuating the opening andclosing of the jaws during the setting and springing oi: said sliding member, said other means including a staple positioned in the base and abutments on said base, said gripping jaws engaging with their shanks between 'saidstaple and said "abutments. p

4. An animal trap comprising a base, a sliding member guided upon said base, a

spring tending to slide said'membe'r in direction of springing the trap, a bait carrying element and means lnser'ted between said element and said sliding member to hold the latter in set position; gripping jaws pivoted onsaid sliding member, other means on said base actuating the opening and closing of the jaws during the settin and springing of said sliding member, said first means including a shoulder on said bait carrying element, a.

tripping finger hinged in suitable'bearings on said base and adapted to engage with said shoulder to hold saidelement in set position while simultaneously engaging with said sliding member when retracted. v

5. An animal trap comprising a base, :a sliding member guided upon said base, a spring tending to slide said member'in di rection of springing the trap, a bait carrying element and means inserted between'saide'le ment and said sliding member to hold the lat ter in set position; gripping jaws pivoted'on said sliding member, other means on said base actuating the opening and closing of the jaws during the settin and springing of said sliding member, said rst means including a including a staple positioned in the base and shoulder on said bait carrying element, a abutments' on said base, said gripping jaws 1 tripping finger hinged in suitablebearings having'shanks engaging between said staple 5 on said base and adapted to engage with said and said abutments.

shoulder to hold said element in set position, In testimony whereof I afiix ingsignature. While simultaneously engaging said sliding I OLE H. MOE [Ls] member When retracted, said other means 

